Amy Hamm: Boomers drunk on CBC is the source of Carney’s power

The results of an Abacus Data survey have again revealed which generations are keeping the rotten Liberal Party popular and in power. It’s the baby boomers and the silent generation, of course.

The new survey, released on Sunday, showed that “(a)mong Canadians aged 60 and over, the Liberals lead the Conservatives by 20 points, 52 per cent to 32 per cent.” Only one or two percentage points divide the Liberal/Conservative preference (measured as vote intention) among all other age groups, meaning that without the Boomers and their elders, our red and blue parties would be neck-and-neck in the polls.

More than 10.8 million Canadians were age 60 or over in 2025, which represented more than a quarter of Canada’s population — and an even greater percentage of the voting population. Furthermore, older Canadians are more likely to vote in federal elections. They are plainly the most powerful voting bloc in Canada — and they are also the most out of touch with the struggles of the average Canadian, largely insulated, by economic privilege, from the fallout of our Liberal Lost Decade.

There’s more: that undeniable generational privilege says nothing of the stark difference in mentality between those whose information diet comes from cable news (a recent survey says that among Canadians 65 and older, 75 per cent use television as their main news source, with CBC being the most watched) versus those who feast on an online smorgasbord of social media — with its live, unfiltered and citizen-led breaking stories, for better or worse — as well as independent and mainstream news. The former is a “diet” in both meanings of the word: it is the sum of their consumption, but it is also inadequate, a restriction not of calories but of data and context.

With their voting power, those 60 and older are effectively force-feeding Canadians with the same terrible ideas that comprise their diet.

There is a disconnect in the minds of older Canadians between bad Liberal policy and our societal decay. It’s obvious where it comes from: citizens should expect our national broadcaster to engage in nonpartisan news reporting. In years long past, the CBC arguably did (or at least did a marginally better job at it). These days, the CBC frames Prime Minister Carney’s failures as successes, and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre as an angry parliamentary jester.

Carney’s utter failure to negotiate with U.S. President Trump — on any matter — was craftily turned into this recent headline, for instance: “Carney says Trump agreed to ‘intensify’ trade talks after 50% tariff threat.” The headline implies that Carney has gotten Trump to agree to, well, something. Never mind that Carney would be incapable of getting Trump to agree to try a new cupcake flavour, let alone to “intensify” trade negotiations, a truth self-evident to any Canadian who hasn’t yet been expunged of their instinctual propaganda-detecting abilities.

Meanwhile, the CBC has described Poilievre as having “lashed out” at Carney for an alleged — alleged! — failure to negotiate with Trump, in a news article titled: “Poilievre says Carney has been ‘losing, losing, losing’ on U.S. trade war.” The CBC article has a tone defensive of the Liberal government, insisting that “Canada is pushing for Trump to drop his punishing tariffs.” (Is cancelling the Canada-US joint opening ceremony for the Gordie Howe bridge the latest example of this supposed “pushing”?)

Carney has in fact been failing, and losing, and in spectacular fashion. That’s not a matter of Poilievre’s opinion. Trump is now blaming Carney for the weather and wind patterns, a reflection of what little respect he holds for the prime minister. Alas, Canadians aged 60 plus are unlikely to change their media consumption habits or their minds. The bloc is here to stay, at least for another decade — possibly longer.

So, what are the rest of Canadians to do? I’m afraid there’s no good answer. The CBC will never be reformed under a Liberal government. Boomers (and up) will continue to vote how they see fit. As is their right.

It’s telling that the latest Abacus survey showed that 64 per cent of Canadians listed “the rising cost of living” as a top concern, while only 32 per cent ranked “housing affordability and accessibility” as highly. When swathes of us are spending more than half our income on housing, the two issues should be inseparable in terms of priority — one can’t live without housing, after all, nor can one thrive on the dwindling amount left over after rent or mortgage payments. This data is likely a reflection of how the relatively wealthy 60-plus generations don’t have a care in the world about the cost of homes — theirs are paid off — they’re simply annoyed with spending more on groceries.

If you’re under 60 in Canada and feel like you’re screaming your concerns about the country into the wind, that’s probably because you are.

National Post